My ongoing theme is always the truth, as I see it, and the exposure of lies, deception and manipulation wherever they exist. I remain firmly convinced that the world can no longer resist its innate urge to unite and co-operate with one another and we are very close to the point where war can no longer be an option if this transformation is to occur. Website: allenroland.com Email: allen@allenroland.com

Saturday, September 20, 2014

BAY AREA BASEBALL PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

Click on photo to enlarge

In a world of growing deception and turmoil, it's time now for
the innocent purity of baseball in the San Francisco Bay area and both the
Giants and A's are in the hunt for the divisional playoffs. Where you live in
the Bay Area plays a big difference in your team allegiance but in my case I
have a loyalty to both teams and find myself capable of an objective analysis
of their chances
to advance in 2014: Allen L Roland, Ph.D

Having
lived for over 30 years in the North BayCountiesof Sonoma and Marin, I have been a fervent Giants
fan but when I moved to Contra Costa in 2010 for my work with combat vets with
PTSD ~ I became swept up in Oakland A's fever and have now reached a healthy
parity in my team allegiance but can offer a fairly objective analysis of their
playoff chances in 2014.

Oakland A's~ What was once a fun
loving group of over achievers led by power-hitting
outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland was the team to beat by the All- Star break
this year ~ but then Billy Beane (with visions of a
World Championship in his eyes) got impatient,
sold the soul of the team (Cespedes) to the Red Sox for proven World Series
closer Jon Lester and watched the team slowly disintegrate through August and
September. It is my opinion that Melvin and the Team were overruled
on the Lester for Cespedes trade and that explains the recent slide in A's
spirit ~ it was no longer fun but instead all business.

But the final dagger in the heart for the
stumbling A's happened on Wednesday, September 17th when bulldog Jeff
Samardzija threw a brilliant 4 hitter through 8 innings against an obviously
outgunned and bewildered Ranger team.

Obviously Samardzija wanted to pitch the
ninth but Manager Bob Melvin would have none of that and went with his already
chosen closer Doolittle whose fast ball and slider was welcome relief for the
young Rangers who pounced on him for six runs and the ball game.

Doolittle knew it ~ "It's going to be a turning point one way or another," Doolittle told reporters after the game. "After the season's over,
are we going to look back and point at tonight as the game where the wheels
came off for good, or are we going to be able to pick ourselves up, dust
ourselves off and talk about how resilient we are as a team and how we were
able to overcome a game like this and still get it done?"

Melvin's
inability to recognize what everyone else, including myself and the ball
players themselves (on both sides) already knew, that Samardzija was on a
special roll and deserved to at least attempt to close the 1-0 game cast a "Why Try"
spell on the A's and the wheels did indeed seeminglycome off for good.

Lester
will attempt to right the ship against the Phillies on Friday, the 19th but the
collapse seems complete and the fun Boys of Summer have become the burned out
survivors of fall ~destined to dwell on
what might have been and what ever happened to those fun (double pie) times
with Cespedes this year before Billy Beane pulled the plug.

San Francisco Giants ~ Whereas
the spirit left the A's it returned with a vengeance to the Giants ~ along with
Angel Pagan, a rejuvenated team leaderBuster
Posy ~ and of course, their wily old fox manager Bruce Bochy.

The
Giants are making their every two year run for the money (having wonthe gold in 2010 and 2012) but realistically a
wild card berth seems onlylikely this year.
However,never underestimate Bruce Bochy
in late September and October ~ he is a master motivator and big game
strategist but it's unlikely he will take all the marbles this year.

The
problem is pitching and their nemesis the LA Dodgers ~ who are locked in first
in the West and show no signs on relinquishing it to the Giants. The Dodgers
are more individually gifted and of course have the best pitcher in baseball ~
Clayton Kershaw with 20 wins already in his belt. The
Giants definitely have more team chemistry but that may not be enough this
year.

PREDICTIONS

NATIONAL LEAGUE WINNERS

WEST
LA
Dodgers

CENTRAL
Cardinals

EAST
Washington

Wild
Card SF
Giants

AMERICAN LEAGUEWINNERS

WEST
LA
Angels

CENTRAL
Detroit
Tigers

EAST
Baltimore

Wild
Card Kansas City Royals

NL DIVISIONAL SERIES

Dodgers
defeat Cardinals

Washington
defeats Giants

LA
Dodgers versus Washingtonin Final

Winner
LA Dodgers

AL DIVISIONAL SERIES

Baltimore
defeats Royals

Angels
defeat Detroit

LA Angels versus Baltimorein Final

Winner LA Angels

WORLD SERIES LA Dodgers versus LA Angels

Winner LA Dodgersin
seven games.

MVP
Clayton
Kershaw

And
that's the way it appears tobe ~ at least that's my
prediction as a Bay Area resident and avid baseball fan whose allegiance is nowsplit between the A's and Giants.

" Prediction and explanation are exactly
symmetrical. Explanations are, in effect, predictions about what has happened;
predictions are explanations about what's going to happen.” ~ John Roberts
Searle

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About Me

I'm a disabled active duty Navy veteran who was born in Boston, Massachusetts, survived a dysfunctional family, pursued and lived my dreams, including being a Navy carrier fighter pilot. I found myself by fully opening my heart, wrote three books, sired four children and I'm still living my ultimate dream by making a difference from a place of celebration and service. My 1998 PhD dissertation on the UNIFIED FIELD was chosen by Noetic Science and Common Boundary as one of the top three world finalists on combining psychology and spirituality. I retired from my private practice in 2014, because of my service connected asbestosis related lung disease, and live in Antioch, California but still remain involved as a featured columnist on Veterans Today and heart centered spiritual consultant and advisor ~ particularly with combat veterans with PTSD as well as others with PTHD ( Post Traumatic Heart Disorder).